Electric anti-siphon valves are in widespread usage to control the flow of water, particularly to outside water sprinklers. Electric anti-siphon valves incorporate electric wires in operative association with a solenoid utilized to control the valve per se. Electric anti-siphon valves are conventionally mounted on an upstanding water supply conduit or "riser."
It is conventional practice to splice or interconnect the wiring extending from the solenoid to controller signal wire leading to a location spaced from the electric anti-syphon valve. To accomplish this, the control wiring extends from the ground upwardly and along the riser to a position closely adjacent to the solenoid wiring. The free ends of the control wiring and the solenoid wiring are then spliced together.
The splices themselves are often taped or covered by splice covers to protect the wiring ends from the elements to some degree but the arrangement is unsightly, vulnerable to damage and relatively ineffective insofar as protecting the wiring from the elements is concerned. The control wiring itself extending along the riser remains exposed to the elements. The control wiring may be taped or otherwise secured to the riser and this too is relatively unsightly. Installation and interconnection of the wiring as described above is time consuming and labor intensive. This new apparatus especially makes removal and renewal of all valve components, including the solenoid, simplified, precise, and fast. Furthermore, involvement of adjacent valve wiring is eliminated.
A number of sprinkler head protectors and shields are shown in prior art patents. The following United States patents illustrate protectors and shields that are believed to be representative of the current state of the prior art in this regard: U.S. Pat. No. 3,009,652, issued Nov. 21, 1961, U.S. Pat. No. 3,662,956, issued May 16, 1972, U.S. Pat. No. 4,212,426, issued Jul. 15, 1980, U.S. Pat. No. 3,380,659, issued Apr. 30, 1968, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,904,120 , issued Sep. 9, 1975. The devices illustrated in the patents do not deal with the problems encountered insofar as interconnection and protection of solenoid wiring and control wiring are concerned.